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Chicago Bears\u00a0<\/a>fans may be getting to see plenty of backup quarterback Tyson Bagent<\/a> in the coming weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Starting QB Caleb Williams<\/a> (hamstring) has already been ruled out for a Week 3 “Monday Night Football” game against the Philadelphia Eagles<\/a>. Bagent was recently cleared out of concussion protocol, but QB3 Case Keenum is slated to start,<\/a> per Fox Sports Jay Glazer (h\/t Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). Florio noted Bagent may come in if Keenum, 38, struggles in his first start since 2023.<\/p>\n Monday night’s prime-time matchup may not mark the only time Bagent replaces Williams.\u00a0<\/p>\n Multiple reports shared\u00a0<\/a>Sunday that Williams suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in a 9-3 Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings<\/a>, meaning he could miss three to four weeks. Williams, who turns 25 on Nov. 18, could return sooner, but if he misses three games, he would come back against the Atlanta Falcons\u00a0<\/a>on Oct. 18 (Fox, 1 p.m. ET). If he misses four, the passer would return against the New England Patriots<\/a> on Oct. 22.<\/p>\n The Bears wish Williams, a budding star, were healthy, but they clearly trust Bagent to win games. Chicago wouldn’t have signed him to a two-year, $10M contract extension before the 2025 season if it didn’t.<\/p>\n That makes Bagent one of the NFL’s highest-paid backup QBs. He makes more than Denver Broncos\u00a0<\/a>third-year QB Bo Nix ($4.653M), who’s on his rookie contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bagent, a former Division II star for the Shepherd Rams<\/a>, has proved a reliable backup. The former undrafted free agent filled in for former Bears QB Justin Fields during the 2023 season after he suffered a right thumb injury. He went 2-2 in four starts, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 859 yards and posting a 52.6 QBR (just above league average).\u00a0<\/p>\n Bagent has yet to start a game under Bears second-year head coach Ben Johnson, but he quickly picked up on his system after Chicago hired him before the 2025 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We’ve had a lot of reps during the course of training camp and in the preseason,” Johnson said\u00a0<\/a>of Bagent this past Tuesday. “So if it goes that route. I feel strongly what’s he capable of. And our team does, too. They know he’s a darn good football player.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The Bears (1-1) hope Bagent proves Johnson right. Chicago wants to avoid falling into an early hole.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nBears receive bad Caleb Williams news<\/h2>\n
Why do the Bears trust Tyson Bagent?<\/h2>\n
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